INDIANAPOLIS: As the NFL’s annual scouting combine got underway on Monday in the middle of the nation, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins shared a video on social media demonstrating that he had recovered enough from Achilles surgery to be able to throw during practice.
The timing of the video didn’t seem to be by coincidence; even though players aren’t officially allowed to sign with other clubs until March 11, the combine serves as the official start of free agency. For the majority of a week, NFL power brokers share a square mile, and quiet conversations in hotel bars and steakhouses lay the groundwork for a deal that might go officially in 2024.
The Vikings express their hope that Cousins stays off the freeHead coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reaffirmed on Tuesday that they hope to have quarterback Kirk Cousins back in 2024 while they work out a new deal with his agent. Last March,
Negotiations between Cousins and the Vikings came to a deadlock when the team chose to give the quarterback two empty years to his current contract rather than the long-term agreement to had requested But before rupturing his Achilles,
Cousins posted some of his best-ever stats in
a Minnesota, and both O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah expressed their desire for the 35-year-old to make a comeback in 2024.
“I think the thing about free agency is it’s not Kirk’s first time in free agency,” Kelvin O’Connell stated. Kirk Cousins is aware of my feelings for him; I haven’t kept anything from him. He’s aware of the Minnesota Vikings’ feelings for him. Kirk seems to desire to be a Viking. And we’re going to do our best to make that happen.”
O’Connell reported that he had spoken with Cousins often during the offseason. Cousins has been to Minnesota on occasion for Achilles tendon checks following surgery. “Every check-in that I get, either from the medical side or Kirk himself, is always pretty shocking, as far as how far along he is already,” O’Connell stated.
If Cousins’ health continues to improve and offers him leverage in contract discussions, the progress may potentially make things more difficult for the Vikings. He stated in January that the terms of a contract with the Vikings would be more significant than the cost, and several people have reported that last year’s talks came to a standstill due to money guarantees.
